Mr Black Downward Spiral review

Nine Inch Trails - a descending delay

  • £139
  • $179
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The delay's pitch descent increases as you up the regen control

MusicRadar Verdict

For adding a sense of derangement to any passage, it's a tortured treat.

Pros

  • +

    Interesting tweak on delay. Handmade in Oregon. Tortured tones.

Cons

  • -

    Requires careful application.

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Imagine a delay where every repeat gradually descends in pitch - it sounds like a nightmare, and that's the point.

"Lower regen settings sound like heavily vibrato'd delays across the 20ms-800ms range"

The Downward Spiral's pitch descent increases as you up the regen (aka feedback) control, right up to minutes of trails until the notes become a garbled mess.

Lower regen settings sound like heavily vibrato'd delays across the 20ms-800ms range, with the descent only apparent when you stop playing.

It's not the easiest to use creatively, but for adding a sense of derangement to any passage, it's a tortured treat.

Michael Brown
Michael Brown

Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism, and has spent the past decade writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as a decade-and-a-half performing in bands of variable genre (and quality). In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.